The Nielsen BookScan service has provided ICv2 with a ranking of the top 20 graphic novels of 2008, drawn from sell-through information in bookstore and other outlets tracked by the service.The rankings are based on piece sales for the entire year.Watchmen was the #1 graphic novel of 2008; although it was selling great all year, sales were turbocharged by the Watchmen trailer released in conjunction with The Dark Knight, the #1 movie of the year.Batman: The Killing Joke Special Edition, another 20 year old volume written by Alan Moore, was the #5 title of the year.

Rank

Title

Author

Pub

PubDate

1

WATCHMEN

ALAN MOORE

DC

4/1/95

2

NARUTO VOL. 28

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

3/1/08

3

NARUTO VOL. 29

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

5/1/08

4

NARUTO VOL. 30

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

7/1/08

5

BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE SPEC. ED.

ALAN MOORE

DC

3/1/08

6

NARUTO VOL. 27

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

12/1/07

7

NARUTO VOL. 31

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

9/1/08

8

NARUTO VOL. 26

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

12/1/07

9

DEATH NOTE VOL. 1

TSUGUMI OHBA

VIZ

10/1/05

10

FRUITS BASKET VOL. 19

NATSUKI TAKAYA

TKP

3/1/08

11

FRUITS BASKET VOL. 20

NATSUKI TAKAYA

TKP

7/1/08

12

DEATH NOTE VOL. 2

TSUGUMI OHBA

VIZ

11/1/05

13

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURN

FRANK MILLER

DC

5/1/97

14

VAMPIRE KNIGHT VOL. 4

MATSURI HINO

VIZ

4/1/08

15

NARUTO VOL. 1

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

7/1/03

16

NARUTO VOL. 32

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

12/1/08

17

BLEACH VOL. 22

TITE KUBO

VIZ

2/1/08

18

NARUTO VOL. 25

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

12/1/07

19

DEATH NOTE VOL. 13

TSUGUMI OHBA

VIZ

2/1/08

20

VAMPIRE KNIGHT VOL. 1

MATSURI HINO

VIZ

1/1/07

Naruto was the top manga, with nine volumes in the top 20, led by volume 28, the first in the Shippuden series, at #2 over-all.Six of the top ten graphic novels of the year were Naruto volumes.Even volume 1 appeared in the list, a great sign that new readers are still joining the ranks of Naruto readers.

Three other manga series joined Naruto in the top 20:Death Note (three volumes), Fruits Basket (two volumes), Vampire Knight (two volumes), and Bleach (one volume).

The only other American title was Batman:The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, which came in at #13.

Note: We've also published a revised version to this chart (click here) that includes kids and YA titles not included here.